Serve question

[Zell]

Hey there, I'm 5'6-5'6 1/2 MAYBE, not sure, probably just 5'6 though. And I read in some thread here that being that exact height isn't a disadvantage when it comes to serving, and that you coul still serve a flat bomb at that height. So I just wanted to ask, if it were ok to jump more on my flat serve? Like bend your knees, then really spring myself high, more than usual, it would be. Would that be a good idea, and would it give me more net clearance? (I know you really have to have strong legs to keep this up in a match, and I just started to work out my legs) Thanks in advance.

 

[RakettoKozou]

Yes, tossing more into the court will also help.

 

[Strings And Things]

Hey there, I'm 5'6-5'6 1/2 MAYBE, not sure, probably just 5'6 though. And I read in some thread here that being that exact height isn't a disadvantage when it comes to serving, and that you coul still serve a flat bomb at that height. So I just wanted to ask, if it were ok to jump more on my flat serve? Like bend your knees, then really spring myself high, more than usual, it would be. Would that be a good idea, and would it give me more net clearance? (I know you really have to have strong legs to keep this up in a match, and I just started to work out my legs) Thanks in advance.

Yes, it is very possible for a 5'6" (even 5'5") person to fire 120 MPH heaters into the service box. I've seen it done.

Getting a full or exaggerated extension reaching up to the contact point is fine. Tossing into the court more is fine. Using your legs to allow your body to uncoil more upwards towards the contact point is fine. Just don't purposely jump like a volleyball serve -- it would rob you of some potential energy that you loaded.

With proper mechanics, timing, body conditioning, and spin, 5'5" people can realistically get up to the 120's.

I know Rochus can hit 130 (I bet his max ever was even more), but he's a pro -- they work on this stuff all day long and so things come to them much easier than for regular folks.

 

[Zell]

Yes, it is very possible for a 5'6" (even 5'5") person to fire 120 MPH heaters into the service box. I've seen it done.

Getting a full or exaggerated extension reaching up to the contact point is fine. Tossing into the court more is fine. Using your legs to allow your body to uncoil more upwards towards the contact point is fine. Just don't purposely jump like a volleyball serve -- it would rob you of some potential energy that you loaded.

With proper mechanics, timing, body conditioning, and spin, 5'5" people can realistically get up to the 120's.

I know Rochus can hit 130 (I bet his max ever was even more), but he's a pro -- they work on this stuff all day long and so things come to them much easier than for regular folks.

I haven't seen a volleyball serve before, but I can tell you that I don't jump just for the sake of jumping on my serve, I feel it could give me like more clearance and possibly make the ball bounce higher on impact.

My motion is just like any other person's serve, but when I bend my knees, then I spring up real high, it's basically just jumping on my toes, but I throw the ball into the court and bring my whole body into it.

Well, I just practiced this today against the wall, I just thought of this idea today, so I haven't really done it on court, so I'll try it out and see how it goes.

 

[TonyB]

Interesting:

http://www.undergroundtennis.com/profiles/blog/show?id=640018:BlogPost:11188


I'm 5'6" tall and not a pro, but my serve is one of my stronger shots. My serve tops out around 110 MPH, if I hit it spectacularly. My "normal" flat 1st serve is around 95-100 MPH, which is fast enough to cause trouble for anyone under a 5.0 rating.

So I guess you can take comfort in knowing that it is possible for us short guys to serve well, even if you're not a pro. Keep working on it. It'll eventually get there. I'm still working on mine and I can see several areas to improve upon that will get me another 5-10 MPH. It just takes time.